“God of his mercy send you deliverance,” said King Arthur, and sat turning in his mind how all these things should end, and how he might himself gain freedom for so many noble hearts.

Anon there came a damsel to the king, saying, “Sir if thou wilt fight for my lord thou shalt be delivered out of prison, but else nevermore shalt thou escape with thy life.”  “Nay,” said King Arthur, “that is but a hard choice, yet had I rather fight than die in prison, and if I may deliver not myself alone, but all these others, I will do the battle.”  “Yea,” said the damsel, “it shall be even so.”  “Then,” said King Arthur, “I am ready now, if but I had a horse and armour.”  “Fear not,” said she, “that shalt thou have presently, and shalt lack nothing proper for the fight.”  “Have I not seen thee,” said the king, “at King Arthur’s court? for it seemeth that thy face is known to me.”  “Nay,” said the damsel, “I was never there; I am Sir Damas’ daughter, and have never been but a day’s journey from this castle.”  But she spoke falsely, for she was one of the damsels of Morgan le Fay, the great enchantress, who was King Arthur’s half-sister.

When Sir Damas knew that there had been at length a knight found who would fight for him, he sent for Arthur, and finding him a man so tall and strong, and straight of limb, he was passingly well pleased, and made a covenant with him, that he should fight unto the uttermost for his cause, and that all the other knights should be delivered.  And when they were sworn to each other on the holy gospels, all those imprisoned knights were straightway led forth and delivered, but abode there one and all to see the battle.

In the meanwhile there had happened to Sir Accolon of Gaul a strange adventure; for when he awoke from his deep sleep upon the silken barge, he found himself upon the edge of a deep well, and in instant peril of falling thereinto.  Whereat, leaping up in great affright, he crossed himself and cried aloud, “May God preserve my lord King Arthur and King Urience, for those damsels in the ship have betrayed us, and were doubtless devils and no women; and if I may escape this misadventure, I will certainly destroy them wheresoever I may find them.”  With that there came to him a dwarf with a great mouth, and a flat nose, and saluted him, saying that he came from Queen Morgan le Fay.  “And she greeteth you well,” said he, “and biddeth you be strong of heart, for to-morrow you shall do battle with a strange knight, and therefore she hath sent you here Excalibur, King Arthur’s sword, and the scabbard likewise.  And she desireth you as you do love her to fight this battle to the uttermost, and without any mercy, as you have promised her you would fight when she should require it of you; and she will make a rich queen for ever of any damsel that shall bring her that knight’s head with whom you are to fight.”

“Well,” said Sir Accolon, “tell you my lady Queen Morgan, that I shall hold to that I promised her, now that I have this sword—­and,” said he, “I suppose it was to bring about this battle that she made all these enchantments by her craft.”  “You have guessed rightly,” said the dwarf, and therewithal he left him.